When Hatred Devours
by Deena
Summary: Fujin, a tough SeeD looking to unlock World Mysteries, encounters an arrogant Knight who seeks to steal all she's gained. *AU, Language, Seifer/Fujin*
1. Chapter I : Hate Solidified

Chapter I : Hate Solidified

"So how long you been a SeeD at Balamb Garden?"

Fujin tried hard not to scowl but it wasn't easy. Her opponent kept pestering her with questions and idle small talk. She loathed small talk. Who cared how a person was or what the weather was? It was all so stupid and yet, for the moment, she had to remain polite. She held up one finger as she contemplated her remaining cards.

"One year?"

"ONE," she affirmed, laying down a Jumbo Cactaur card.

"Not bad," the Card Master praised. He promptly overturned her card with a well placed and super-rare Siren card. "You know you're the second person to ever beat me into playing here in my Secret Room? That ain't too shabby at all girl."

Fujin managed a small smile, her spirits rising slightly. The last card in her hand was her beloved Pandemona card and using it would give her a Same Plus Combo, enabling her to _finally_ win the game. She carefully and smugly lay the card onto the last remaining spot. At long last she had won.

"Well I'll be damned," the Card Master muttered, studying the cards intently. "You beat me _again_. It's been years since I've seen a Pandemona card, you know? You've been saving it."

She nodded, relief washing over her. The Card Master was known all over Dollet as the most cunning of card players and Fujin had found out first hand that he did indeed live up to his reputation. The guy was friggin' tough. He played cards better than anyone Fujin knew, even Squall Leonhart, Commander of Balamb Garden. It had already taken seven tries to beat the guy into playing in his Secret Room.

"Well I owe you then." He flashed her a toothy grin. "It's an honour to be defeated by such a crafty player. Last person to beat me before you was old Jed Berwyn, some fifteen years back."

"TOUGH."

"I am aren't I?" The Card Master preened as he dug around through the clutter that topped his desk. "I've got a few gifts for you. You gave me one hell of a challenge girl."

Fujin accepted the pile of cards he handed her, including the glossy, beautiful Siren card. He also gave her three Elixirs, a Flare Stone and a Fury Fragment, informing her that as a SeeD the magical items were bound to come in handy one day.

"Oh and feel free to look through all these old magazines," he added, leaning back and pouring Everweed into his pipe. "I've been trying to get rid of them for years now. They're all junk but they're _rare_ junk. You just might be able to find something of value."

Fujin smiled again, elated. _This_ was what she'd been waiting for, for ages and ages. _This_ was why she'd played endless games of Triple Triad with Squall and Quistis and Xu and that hyper idiot Zell. All for this one chance. "THANKS," she intoned, shoving her cards into the pockets of her brown cargo pants. "KIND."

He blew a series of rings at the ceiling. "The pleasure is mine."

Fujin knelt down and began rummaging through the stacks of tattered magazines, hardly daring to breathe. Could it be here? Were the rumours correct? Would she finally be able to see what had consumed the lives of her parents so completely and entirely?

Her exploration took a while because of the sheer volume of literature the Card Master possessed but in the end her search paid off. She found what she was looking for plus another editions. The out-of-print, nearly non-existent Occult Fan, issues II, and IV were now hers, in addition to the Occult Fan I she'd found in the Balamb Garden library, hidden behind a row of Galbadian Medical documents.

"Find anything good?"

Fujin showed him the magazines. "HAVE?"

"Oh yeah be my guest," the Card Master said pleasantly. "So you're a fan of things mysterious eh? That's a great series then. Full of all kinds of strange, unsolved things. You can't find Occult magazines anywhere these days. They've been out of print for years."

"KNOW."

"You'll have to come back soon so we can have a rematch, okay? No one else gives me a challenge these days."

Fujin stuffed the crinkled magazines into her knapsack. "AGREE."

The Card Master shook her hand once before allowing her to leave. Fujin quit the pub, happier than she'd been in a long, long time. There had only been rumours about the Card Master's hidden lair and hoards of unusual items but for it to be true...she just couldn't believe her luck. Normally she had all the luck of a Snow Lion in the Fire Cavern but at last things seemed to be looking up. Now she could finally start unlocking some of the secrets her parents had been working on before their deaths. She'd spent years trying to get to this moment and now that she was here...words couldn't describe how great it felt.

Normally Fujin didn't like eating in restaurants but today, as a tiny celebration of sorts, she decided to have supper at the fancy Trabian restaurant near her hotel. She sat outside at a tiny table upon the cobblestone path and watched the world go by. The evening was warm and breezy. Loads of people were milling about, chatting and laughing. By the fountain there were musicians and street performers. Dollet was busier and merrier than she'd ever noticed before.

She listened to the music and gazed around for a while before ordering her meal. Then, while sipping leisurely on a Starburst Shine Soda, she took out her two new magazines and began to read. As always, the articles were cloaked in obscurity, giving vague references to places and monsters and strange magical items. By the time her food had arrived, she'd finished reading. She pondered what she'd read as she ate, in particular the piece about Malboros. While having never actually seen a Malboro, Fujin knew all about the Status-altering creature. They were especially dangerous, which was why Malboro Tentacles were so expensive. Maybe the article was referring to Malboro Tentacles? Or something about a Malboro lair. In all honesty, she had no clue.

"Can I get you anything else Miss?"

Fujin looked up at the smiling waiter and realized that she'd long since finished her food. She shook her head. "CHEQUE."

"Sure thing," he replied, sweeping away her dirty dishes.

She paid and then left the restaurant. It was such mild, warm weather that she decided to go for a walk before heading back to her hotel room for the night. She wove through the crowds, heading for the waterfront. Dollet had beautiful docks and in the distance, you could see Balamb, looking like a tiny island against the horizon.

Passing beneath the stone bridge and into the Town Square, Fujin became aware of someone yelling. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a young boy sprinting through the crowds, shouting and waving. She rolled her one lone eye, her expression souring. She _detested_ little kids, especially ones who disrupted the peace like this little shit. In her opinion kids were nothing more than grubby, stupid, annoying-

There was a sudden tug on Fujin's hand. "Hey!"

The dark-haired kid was beside her, looking up at her with huge brown eyes. She scowled, yanking her hand away. "WHAT?!"

He wasn't intimidated. "Are you a SeeD?"

Why the hell would the runt wanna to know that? "YES."

"My mom's the Card Queen, di'cha know that?"

Fujin blinked. She played the Card Queen every now and then at the Balamb Train Station but never knew that the Queen had a son. She never thought of the Card Queen as having any sort of a personal life. "SO?"

"So some guy's looking all over for you." The boy bobbed his head earnestly. "It's true. My mom saw you playing in the pub and told me to find you. She said the guy looks dangerous. He beat the Card Master and he wants something you got."

Was some deranged card fan looking to challenge her for the Siren card? So much for enjoying her winnings in peace. "OKAY," she muttered grudgingly. "THANKS."

"You should come by and see my grandpa's paintings sometimes," the kid said, heading back towards the pub. "He doesn't paint bad!"

As she grew closer to the waterfront, she surreptitiously studied her surroundings but could see no one tailing her. In any case, she could handle whatever was going to come her way. She had Pandemona junctioned, a load of magical items and all her stats were pretty high. No one was going to take anything from her without getting their ass kicked.

She stood watching boats drift in and out of the harbour for a while before eventually leaving. It was getting late and she had days of extensive research ahead of her. Tomorrow morning she would hit up a bunch of Dollet's used bookstores, which were renowned for rare finds and since her SeeD Level was above Fifty, she had access to a variety of governmental databases and storage areas. Then once she finished seeking and studying in Dollet, Timber, and Deling City were only a train ride away. Even Winhill was just a day drive from Deling City. She had a whole month of vacation since last year she'd been required to work in Trabia over her vacation so she could give this her all.

She took an alternative route back towards the hotel, winding her way through the Shopping Kiosk. Only a handful of shops were open so the area was relatively quiet. She peeked into the windows of closed bookstores here and there but saw nothing of interest. As soon as she turned from the main road onto a quite street, Fujin was aware that she was indeed being followed. Her spine tingled with a rack of cool shivers.

Abruptly, she headed into a nearby, quiet little park. If she was going to fight than she'd rather it be out of sight and away from the public. If some innocent bystander got injured then she'd be in shit with the Garden. She strolled along a winding path before finally stopping near a large duck pond.

"WHAT?" she demanded loudly, folding her arms across her chest. Because Fujin was afraid of _no one_.

There was an audible rustle from the opposite pathway and a figure strode out from the greenery. In the buttery lamp-light, Fujin could see that the guy was tall and very blond, with that sort of aristocratic-style good looks. His bearings were self-centered and there was a smirk the size of the Centra Continent plastered across his face. Fujin liberally decided that she hated the guy on sight.

"So you could tell you were being followed. Not bad for a _SeeD_." He sneered as he said the last word, as if her title disgusted him. Condescension literally dripped from his words and tone. "Too bad you're as subtle looking as a dead Hexadragon."

What a fucking winner. Fujin was quite familiar with this breed of jackass. He was obviously the type of guy who knew he was attractive and thought he was the best thing since sliced Chocobo. "POINT?"

He arched an eyebrow but to his credit didn't remark upon her speech impediment. "You have something that I want."

She smirked right back at him. "TOUGH."

All traces of cheery disdain vanished from his face. His features darkened and Fujin could see why the Card Queen had described him as _dangerous_. "I don't think you understand what I'm all about," he said softly. His eyes glittered in the delicate light. "When I want something, I make sure I get it. I don't let anything stand in my way, especially not some low-level SeeD."

"THRILLING," she barked sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes, irritated. Low-level SeeD her ass. "WANT?"

"You collected Occult Fan II and IV from that Card guy before I could play him." He took a step forward, openly attempting to intimidate her. "I want them. Now."

"NO." She shook her head emphatically. There was no way in hell that she was going to give her hard-earned magazines to this bimbo. "NEVER. DUMBASS."

He stared at her in disbelief, obviously not used to being contradicted or ridiculed. "What the hell did you just say?"

"HEARD," she spat, giving him the finger. What a bullshit waste of time this was. She jerked around and stomped up the dirt pathways. Naturally dumbass followed her, grabbing hold of her arm in a grip like an iron chain.

He yanked her close. "You're not going anywhere SeeD," he hissed. The guy was pissed off.

"ASSHOLE," she snapped, snatching her hand away. "GIVE NOTHING! TRAINED! FIGHT!"

"You think you can beat me?" He smirked, his lips twisting maliciously. "You have no idea how strong I am. I could kill you right now and no one would ever find your scrawny body. I have the entire Galbadian Army in my goddamn pocket, bitch."

"LYING!"

"Why the fuck would I lie? You're not worth the fucking effort." He grabbed her chin with gloved fingers, forcing her to meet his flashing gaze. "A Sorceress' Knight has no reason to lie, especially not to some shitass _SeeD_."

Fujin blinked her good eye. It took a helluva lot to stun her but this guy had succeeded. Was she really standing face to face with a Knight, the most scared and powerful man under a Sorceress? Not that this conceited dipshit was apt to lie. It would be much too easy to check out whether he truly was a Knight or not.__

"Give me the magazines."

"NO!" She roughly pulled herself free. "SCARED NOT. MINE. FUCKTARD!"

"You want to fight me that badly?" He considered her, raking his eyes over her entire length in an obvious and disgusting manner. "You look pretty shitty to me. I prefer some challenge at least. I'll bet a low-level Aero spell could finish you off."

Fujin seethed. Words couldn't even begin to describe how much she abhorred this egotistical prick. The guy had some nerve, Knight or not. Did he seriously believe that she'd just hand over the magazines to him with a smile and a wave? Was he that fucking stupid? She'd show him a goddamn challenge!

"Your face is all red," he commented, clearly enjoying her rage. "Getting pissed are we?"

How dare he mock her! Fujin yanked out from the pants of her brown cargo pants the Flare Stone the Card Master had given to her. She cast the glowing Stone and scorching bursts of flame engulfed the blond Knight. A great feeling of satisfaction welling up inside her. She then cast Double upon herself, so that she'd be able to work two magical spells at once.

The fiery light dissipated. The Knight looked half impressed and half pissed that she possessed such high level Flare magic. He brought his gloved hand to his forehead and called the name, "Alexander." He and the entire park disappeared as his GF fell down from the skies and banged into the earth. Thick rays of shimmering Holy magic poured out from the GF and rocked her existence. Scathing illumination and pain soaked into her bones. Fujin gasped as the GF vanished and fell to her knees.

"Had enough?" The Knight looked down at her, sneering. "That was my weakest GF. I wouldn't want to actually _hurt_ you before I take what's mine."

Fuming, Fujin healed herself with a Curaga and then turned a Demi spell onto the arrogant bastard. The inky blob clung to him, wavering and eating up his HP.

"STRONG," Fujin proclaimed, her voice gritty with fury. "DEFEAT!"

He healed himself with an Elixir. "Your magic is decent but you're far from defeating me." Pillowy froth spit from his fingers and before she could retaliate, the familiar waves of Sleep descended upon her. Her body began to relax. Her eye drifted shut.

The last thing that entered into her mind was a vehement curse.


	2. Chapter II : Unexpected Alliances

Chapter II : Unexpected Alliances

Ordinarily Sleep magic only lasted for a few minutes but since the Knight was exceptionally strong with high level stats, Fujin was asleep for almost ten minutes. When she finally awoke, the blond guy and her three Occult Fan magazines were long gone.

Fujin was _pissed_, more so then she'd ever been in her entire life. Rage rushed through her veins like adrenalin. The very minute she caught sight of that lousy prick, Knight or not, she was gonna rip his head off and tear him a new brand of asshole. She was gonna cut his heart out and eat it. She was gonna gauge his eyes out and pickle them. She was gonna beat his miniscule brain to a pulp.

"KILL," she snarled, infuriated "RAGE. DEAD!"

She stomped through the park, her footfalls pounding furiously upon the cobblestone pathways. Her fingernails left crescent moons upon the flesh of her palms. She ground her teeth together and had to forcibly quell the urge to wreak havoc upon the flower beds. The primal desire to destroy was an overwhelming one. Outside the park, on the stone steps leading down to the sidewalk, were a bunch of teenaged boys practising skateboarding moves. Fujin marched down towards them.

"MAN. TALL," she barked, so angry that she was practically seeing _triple_. "BLOND. LEAVE. SEE?"

The boys exchanged glances with each other. They looked creeped out. Finally a skinny boy with red sunglasses and a striped toque spoke up. "We saw a blond guy leave a little while ago. Was he wearing a grey trenchcoat?"

Fujin jerked her head in a sharp nod. "WHERE?"

The kid pointed in the direction of the Communications Tower. "He went that way."

She headed back into the heart of downtown Dollet, asking everyone she saw if they'd seen the blond Knight pass by. Her speech pattern confused and scared quite a few but in the end she managed to cut out a vague trail that led her to a taxi stand. Fujin was so livid that she kicked down the whole thing and was told off by a passing elderly couple.

The walk back to the hotel calmed her down only a tiny bit. She was still in a wrath, hell yes, but she would save it for golden boy. Their next meeting would see her fully prepared, with her Status Defence junctioned to the hilt. She'd even bring along a couple of Ultima stones and then she'd know the colour of his fucking blood. That piss-off dickhead messed with the wrong SeeD and he was gonna know it _very_ soon.

Once inside her hotel room, Fujin put in communications to Balamb Garden Instructor Quistis Trepe. Fujin didn't like a lot of people but Quistis was one of the few that she did. Quistis was sharp, mature and knowledgeable. She didn't give a shit about her speech impediment or her so-called attitude. She treated Fujin like she treated everyone else, with courtesy and respect. And beyond all that, Quistis was quite recognized for her thorough research abilities and if anyone could help Fujin find information about that dipshit Knight, it would be Quistis.

After a few instants, Quistis came through. "Instructor Trepe speaking."

"FUJIN," she stated by way of greeting. "DISTURBING?"

"Not at all. I just got in from class. How's your vacation so far?"

"GOOD. DATA NEEDED."

"About?"

"SORCERESS KNIGHT."

There was a pause. "You mean Sorceress Edea? Her Knight?"

"UNCERTAIN. POSSIBLY." Fujin frowned, yanking at her hair. "GALBADIAN ARMY. KNIGHT CONTROL."

"That would definitely be Edea's Knight then," Quistis confirmed. "She's pretty much taken over the Galbadian Army and she's given her Knight full reign over things. The President is just a trophy figure. A lot of this internal strife has been hidden from the public by diplomatic double speak and vague cover-ups. No one wants a civilian uprising against the Sorceress. You're not in some kind of political trouble are you Fujin?"

"NEGATIVE," Fujin responded. "KNIGHT FOLLOWED. FOUGHT. STOLE."

Quistis took a moment to digest that. "Are you saying that Edea's Knight followed you, fought with you and then _stole_ from you?"

Fujin's lone eye narrowed in renewed anger. "CORRECT."

"What did he steal?"

"MAGAZINES. OCCULT FAN."

Quistis made a soft sound of understanding. "I see. Here's what I can do for now; I'll find Squall and see if he can't throw his weight around with Galbadian Garden or Deling City or something. Maybe they'll have some information that we could use. In the meantime I'll see what I can find about this Knight and what he's doing in Dollet. I'll contact you as soon as I'm able, okay?"

"YES. APPRECIATE."

"No problem, Fujin. Just be cautious."

"WILL." She severed the link, smirking faintly. Edea was going to have to find herself a new Knight very, very shortly.

Seifer Almasy, Knight to Sorceress Edea Kramer, stood upon the balcony gazing out into the night. Beneath the dark, starry sky stretched out an endless expanse of inky ocean. The waves were gentle and fluid, undulating like a bolt of silk. Dollet's night lights cast bobbing bubbles upon the cool water, dotting the placid surface like the stars above. A quiet breeze coursed through his hair.

Edea's penthouse offered a spectacular view of Dollet's harbour and the sea beyond. Seifer could even see the island of Balamb in the far off distance. While he had never really been one to stand around and watch nature, such a pastime now seemed strangely befitting. He felt at peace. All the frantic rushing and endless urgency to succeed that had driven him for so long seemed now to be melting. He was content, more so than he'd ever been. Now that he had the magazines, it wouldn't be long before he figured out their secrets. He was on his way and that was all he'd ever wanted, both for himself and for Edea. The whole world and beyond was what he owed Edea. She had done more for him more than any other person had ever done before. She had found a little orphan boy and had raised him, giving him affection, an education and now power. He was the strongest beneath her, her most trusted.

Seifer was her Knight.

The world loathed a Sorceress with complete and total bigotry. It made no difference what kind of person she was because in the eyes of the world, all Sorceresses were the same. They were wicked, power-hungry and dominating. Their powers were misunderstood and because of that ignorance, they were feared and hated. And because of that hatred, Seifer needed to be strong, stronger then any of the rest. He was the only thing standing between Edea and the world's abhorrence. If he failed to protect her than he would not only fail his Lady but his _mother_, the woman who have given him her world. That failure was something he could not bear. He wouldn't allow it, not ever. Not to the only person in his life who gave a damn. Edea was his all. Without her, his existence was invalidated. It was that simple.

The compelling force to become powerful and great enough to protect Edea had long since pushed him. There was nothing in him _but_ that force. He had to be the best. To defeat SeeDs and armies and all else, he needed to seek hidden forces and long-buried treasures. Might and Magic alone would not render him formidable enough. He had to find more, to _be_ more, in order to become a Knight worthy of his Lady. Edea, recognizing his fierce drive, had given him two hints; _Deep Sea Research Facility_ and _Occult Fan magazine_. Then she had given him the only Occult Fan volume in her possession, Issue No. III. Now that he had the first four volumes, he would be able to work through the hazy, vague articles and tap into ancient strengths. After that would come the easy part, finding the Deep Sea Research Facility. He already knew it to be somewhere off the coast of Centra. He would be able to face whatever was hidden there when the time came. Edea had thought him well.

"I will make you proud, "Seifer murmured, his voice wavering out into the ocean. It was his promise and nothing short of his death would break it.

He stood there for a long time, watching the sea and the sky and the all night activities down below. When he finally headed back inside, he saw that one of the chambermaids had left him a tray full of exotic dishes for a late supper. He sat down to eat while once more flipping though the new mags he'd stolen from that psychotic SeeD. He had to snort the thought of that one-eyed, violent smartass. She had been some kind of crazy bitch...and annoying as shit. The Gods knew that he'd wanted to kick her scrawny ass all the way to Trabia and he didn't even believe in doing violence to women. But then again, who'd consider that defective lunatic a woman?

"Is everything okay Mr. Almasy?" The chambermaid, a hot blond reminiscent of 'The Girl Next Door' models, stepped back into the room. She smiled flirtatiously at him. "Can I bring you anything else?"

"Not now," Seifer said, looking down the tight, low-cut front of her uniform as she began clearing away dirty dishes. The chick had a killer rack. "Maybe later on you can swing by for a drink?"

"Yeah I'd like that." She winked at him before quitting the room, her walk totally sexy.

Now _that _was a woman. All big tits and long, tanned legs. He could definitely use some of her tonight. There was something about a woman who knew what she wanted that was really fucking hot. Most chicks were all shy and insecure when it came to sex and that was a big turnoff to him. He'd always been more into ladies who oozed, among other things, tons of confidence in the sack.

He smirked as he poured himself a Fira Rum on the rocks. Hot chicks, liquor and mysterious literary shit...what else could a guy want? This was the good stuff. He deserved a celebration of sorts. For the past three months, for ninety-one _long_ days, he'd been combing all over the place in search of the ever-elusive Occult Fan mags. The Estharian periodicals been printed a good twenty years ago and still no one had ever been able to decipher the murky articles and cloudy photographs. Hell no one even knew who actually _wrote_ the articles, let alone what they meant. Now that he had the magazines in his possession, the real fun would start. There was a whole world waiting for him and these enigmatic articles were going to help him find it.

Over the span of the next few hours, he got a good buzz on from his booze while reading trippy pieces about Malboros and weird sightings in the sky and steel pipes. He typed up extensive notes and possible solutions to each feature he examined all the while cross-referencing. He scanned through documents and files and books and open source comlinks but didn't find a lot , other then where to find Malboro Tentacles and Steel Pipes. As for what this alien, flying saucer business entailed, he didn't have a damn clue.

"Hey." His investigations were cut short as the blond chambermaid slipped back into his room. She smirked with pouty, shimmery lips. "Busy?"

"Not anymore." Seifer shoved away his books and papers, languidly appraising her. The chick was one hot piece of ass. "What's your name?"

She perched onto the edge of his desk, moving like liquid. "Jeta," she replied, leaning back on her hands and blinking down at him. She parted her legs slowly as she settled farther back.

"Jeta," he repeated. He slowly slid his hand up the length of her smooth, bronzed thigh. "You want a drink?"

"Just you stud." She gasped as he slid his fingers over the moist silk of her panties. "Kiss me. Hard."

He did and she tasted like sex. She wanted him, was wet for him and that was all he needed.

They fucked with a rough intensity that was animalistic and primal. There were no preliminaries and no words, other than trashy sex talk. He preferred it that way. The cheap pleasure of it all excited her as much as it did him. She was kinky, he liked it and only after they were well into the early morning were they both able to fall into an exhausted slumber.

Seifer, a light sleeper by nature, awoke a short while later. Jeta lay beside him, murmuring softly in her sleep. It was still dark, 3:52 by the clock's count. He settled back against his pillow and closed his eyes. Almost immediately he opened them once again. The tiniest noise from the study across the hall reached his ears. Something was off. Carefully, he untangled himself from Jeta and shoved on his boxers. He strode out into the hallway. The cook and the two other chambermaids would have been long gone by now meaning that if there was someone in his study, they were be a prowler.

Seifer approached the room silently. There was indeed an intruder and it was a familiar one at that. He wasn't surprised at all. With the aid of a small penlight, that one-eyed, psychotic SeeD was searching through the papers and files that littered his desk. He had to be amazed that she'd made it this far. The security system guarding the apartment was a combination of magic and high-intensity sensory perceptions. She had to be pretty damned skilled if she'd managed to actually enter the apartment.

He flipped on the light switch. "Find what you're looking for?"

Her head shot up and the fury that blazed upon her pale face amazed him. "ASSHOLE! MINE! KILL YOU!" She yanked from her pocket an orb that glowed so brightly it was almost painful to look at.

Seifer knew the silvery sphere well. He had quite a few of them himself. It was an Ultima Stone she was armed with; the world's most powerful known spell stone. Normally he'd be able to counter such power easily...had he been junctioned. As a habit, he never kept junctioned while sleeping. He couldn't bear the impending memory loss GFs brought. The SeeD was probably equipped to the bone while he was defenceless before her.

"I'll make you a deal," Seifer proposed, leaning against the doorjamb casually. He wasn't about to let her know that he was unequipped so he thought quickly. She stopped at his words, still regarding him with scorching anger. "We play a game of cards. If you win, you keep the mags. If I win I keep them. Then this shit is done. No more stealing and sneaking around. We part ways and that's that."

Surprise colored her face briefly before giving way to suspicion. "WHY?" she demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

Seifer smirked and saw how it irritated her. "We both know that I've got higher stats and stronger spells then you. There's no comparison between a Knight and a SeeD. We fight and I'll just defeat you again. A card game will at least give me _something_ of a challenge. You beat that guy at the pub and he's the best card player in Dollet. That's better then a battle. I find fighting the weak pointless."

"NOT WEAK," she snarled. Her cheeks were scarlet in anger.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Do you agree?"

"FINE!" she spat viciously. "AGREE!"

Seifer tried hard not to grin. She looked like she wanted to gouge his face off. He found his cards and sat down at his desk. She sat across from him, seething. He couldn't help but goad her. "Ready to lose Princess?"

"FUCK OFF." She flipped through her cards with a speed that matched Edea's. "JACKASS!"

He gave into a chuckle as he chose his cards. She was turning out to be the most interesting chick he'd met all year. He could see that she was dangerous, something similar to a ticking fuse, but she amused him all the same. He hadn't met a lot of people, SeeDs especially, who weren't intimidated or scared shitless of him and his position. This one-eyed ragefest clearly didn't give three shits to Monday who he was. "What's your name?"

"BUSINESS NONE!" She sneered at him, putting aside the rest of her deck. "SEIFER ALMASY."

So she had done her research. He'd figured as much. "We'll play with Dollet's rules and Deling City's rules."

"BALAMB," she put in, narrowing that vivid, crimson eye at him.

"And Balamb's rules," Seifer amended. He was confident. He had Edea's card, his own card and Alexander's card. He could easily kick this foul-mouthed SeeD's ass all the way back to Balamb. He had no intention of relinquishing his hold on the magazines, he _needed_ them.

So they played.

And Seifer found himself doubting his confidence. She even played like Edea and had cards he'd never seen before. Rare, high ranking character cards with faces he didn't recognize. But in the end, that didn't matter.

"DRAW," she intoned, staring down at the board.

A way out of this situation appeared. Seifer took it. "Looks like we both win, SeeD."

She glanced at him sharply. "SUDDEN DEATH."

"You know that wasn't one of the rules." He leaned back in his chair and studied her. "And I did say that we play only _one_ game."

"MINE!" she hissed, her eye spitting fire. "STOLE! WON'T GIVE!"

She was too dangerous, too enraged and too determined for him to leave alone. She would follow his every step until the magazines were once again in her possession. Seifer could see that but he couldn't give her the magazines. They were too important to him, to Edea. There was one option open and while his reluctance was strong, he didn't have another choice. He didn't want this nutcase dogging his every step. "You want the mags as badly as I do. So we share them."

She bounded to her feet, her chair clattering to the floor behind her. She yanked out her Ultima stone again and it glimmered fiercely against her wan fingers. "NEGATIVE!"

Seifer wasn't the only one with high speed stats. He caught her by the wrist, his palm curving over the shining orb. "POSITIVE," he growled back.

She snarled out something incoherent, jerking her hand from his grasp with a formidable violence. "FUC-"

"Shut up," he snapped, showing her _his_ rage. He shoved her against the wall and made her listen. "Neither of us will be happy without the magazines. I don't know why you want them so badly but there is no way in hell I'm gonna give them up. You'll pursue me until you have them, just like I'll pursue you. Correct?"

She said nothing but the hateful expression on her face spoke volumes.

"So we work together. I don't have a fuck's clue what those articles mean and I'm guessing you don't either. Together we can figure this shit out."

"WHAT-"

"Seifer?"

They both turned. Jeta was standing in the doorway, wearing some kind of lacy red bra and panty set. She was smirking.

Seifer hastily let go of the SeeD, who rolled her one eye and looked disgusted.

Jeta stepped into the room, a definite sashay to her walk. "Well what _do_ we have here?" she purred, her eyes on his intruder.

Seifer blinked. Jeta was looking at the SeeD like she had looked at him only a few hours ago. Surely she didn't... "Jeta?"

"You brought me someone to play with!" Jeta was stalking towards the pale-faced girl who was actually backing away. "What's your name sugar?"

Seifer couldn't help it, he snickered. The SeeD was looking spooked. It gave Seifer great satisfaction to see it.

She shot a murderous glare at him. "NOT FUNNY!"

"It's not supposed to be," Jeta said huskily. "Anyone ever tell you how hot you are, hon?"

Hot? Jeta thought the girl was hot? Seifer could scarcely believe it...and seemed like the SeeD couldn't either, from the expression on her wan face.

"NO!" she snapped, bumping into the wall behind her. "UNINTERESTED!"

"I could _make_ you interested," Jeta breathed, caging the SeeD by propping her hands on either side of the wide-eye girl.

"GET OFF!!!"

"Oh come on," Jeta whispered, pressing her lithe body right on top of SeeD's scrawny one. "We could make one helluva memorable night..." She began sucking on the side of SeeD's neck.

The girl let out a sound that sounded like a wounded Ochu and shoved at Jeta's tanned shoulders. "OFF!" But Jeta was now writhing and didn't seem to be too interested in taking orders.

Seifer was vastly amused but figured he had to do something if he wanted SeeD as his partner. He grabbed Jeta by the arm and pulled her away. "She's a SeeD here for business," he told her. "She's not here for-"

"Business at 4:00 in the morning?" Jeta pouted. "Whatever. You just want her all to yourself."

Yeah hardly. What the hell was he gonna do with a psychotic, red-eyed albino? "Look this is urgent okay? Get back to bed and I'll be back when I'm done."

Jeta sighed with all the air of someone making an supreme sacrifice. "Fine. But if you change your mind," She ogled the SeeD. "I'll be waiting and _wet_."

The SeeD's mouth dropped open.

Grinning, Seifer led Jeta out of the room, accepted a steamy kiss and some dirty grinding before shutting the door behind her.

The SeeD's face was now bright red. It was a startling difference since she'd been as pale as a Forbidden only a few instants previous. She finally found her voice. "DESPICABLE!"

Seifer shrugged. "Who knew she'd be all into nutjobs like you?"

She gave him the finger.

"I was serious about what I said before." He sat down at the table he'd been working on earlier and tried to look as non-threatening as possible, which was relatively easy seeing as how he was half-naked and all. "I have a lot of shit to deal with and the last thing I need is some SeeD dogging my ass. I'm sure we can work something out." He gestured to all the notes he'd made since she was still looking mutinous. "You can even check my notes out if you want."

She grabbed hold of a pile of papers and began skimming, all the while giving him dirty, suspicious glances. Yeah, she was subtle all right.

"What's your name?" he asked again.

"FUJIN," she finally grunted after having what looked to be some kind of internal debate with herself.

He'd never heard such a weirdass name and it more than suited her. "Well?"

"THINK," she said, tossing aside his notes.

"That's fine with me," Seifer replied, stacking his papers back into tidy piles. "You can come back here in the morning after -"

"NO. WILL STAY."

"What?"

Fujin sneered at him as she joined him at the table. "STAY HERE. NOT LEAVING. MAGAZINES _MINE_."

The last thing he wanted was a _SeeD_ inside Edea's condo but even he had to admit that Jeta knowing Fujin was spending the night would be worth any possible risks Fujin might possess. Once he junctioned up and cleaned his study of all official documents and disks and things, he'd be more than a match for her. "Your call," he replied casually, as though the idea of having her in his Lady's abode didn't bother him. "But if you wake up to Jeta groping you, don't blame me."

"WILL," she snarled, the smug expression upon her pale face vanishing. "PERVERT!"

"Because I like to bone hot chicks?" He reached over to lightly tug at a strand of her jagged hair, smirking as she violently jerked away. Getting her riled up was so damn easy. "Or because I like the idea of two chicks making it, even if one of them _is_ a deranged SeeDs with aggression problems?"

"ROOM," she spat, flinging herself angrily from the desk. "WHERE?"

Seifer decided that he liked her rage. It was refreshing change from the usual sycophants that trotted around him. "You're more than welcome to share my room," he drawled, also standing. He slid around the table towards her. "I wouldn't mind watching Jeta make you scream. I'll bet you're a right Wendigo in the sack."

Her face infused with colour. It was fascinating to watch. She yanked out her Ultima Stone again. "WILL USE," she threatened.

He shrugged, hiding back a grin. "Your loss Princess."

Fujin furiously stomped to the door, glaring Betrayal Swords. This time Seifer did grin as he unlocked the door and led her down the hall.

Jeta stuck her sexily tousled head out the door, wearing nothing but red panties. "Is she staying?"

Fujin let out a strangled sort of sound and hastily turned away.

"She's staying the night," Seifer proclaimed, relishing the look of blatant lust upon Jeta's face.

"I'll fix her up in the Moon Curtain room," Jeta trilled, ducking back into Seifer's room. He watched her shimmy into her chambermaid's uniform, leaving the top unbuttoned so as to display her ample cleavage. "I'll get you settled down in no time, honeylips," she purred, slipping out of the room.

Fujin grabbed Seifer's hand with fingers as cold as a Star Fragment and hid behind him. "WON'T STAY," she hissed.

But Seifer knew that she would. She wanted the magazines too much to leave now. He extricated himself from her surprisingly strong clutch and watched as a haunted expression swept onto her features. He'd bet Hyperion that she wasn't used to being scared of much. "I'll be in to check on you in a few," he declared, smirking. "You need anything you let Jeta know. That's what she's here for afterall."

"She'll be utterly _satisfied_ once I'm through," Jeta vowed, thrusting her cleavage against the cowering SeeD.

Fujin yanked away like she was on fire and then stamped hard on Seifer's bare foot with her Garden-issued Combat boots.


End file.
